Allison Cartwright
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This luxurious pool and spa in Lighthouse Point is the ultimate backyard paradise! Complete with French Silver interior, custom spillway spa, fire feature, and 2 custom made by Van Kirk & Sons Pools & Spas fire bowls, this is sure to please on a summer evening!

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Villa A Rocca - Corsica Image courtesy on the realtor, Leo Trippi. An open valley view to dicover the whole coastal beauties of the Southern angle of Corsica This magnificent property is situated in a 2,000 ha estate by the sea in the Southern part of Corsica, 45 min from Porto Vecchio. It is very private, perched high upon the hill in the "maquis", yet still close to the sea. Panoramic and breathtaking views over the bay with fantastic colours all day long and they have access to the large beach of the domain with private space. Custom Built by Leo Trippi.

One of the many focal points within the pavilion includes the decorative water fall wall. With decoratie tile and a capture pool, this water feature adds beauty and a calming flow. Photos by Joe Traina.

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Nautical-themed hybrid swimming pool with raised spa, sunshelf, slide, grotto, and pizza oven (September 2013) – Ask the Pool Guy and his team at Legendary Escapes recently unveiled the newest Legendary Escape, a stunning nautical-themed hybrid swimming pool. The hand-carved concrete waterfall, rock slide, and grotto are the focal point of this incredible project, and designer and builder Al Curtis has truly outdone himself this time. Behind the waterfall sits a grotto that seats 8-10 people comfortably. The waterfall, slide, and grotto area come complete with intricate details and additions that perfectly play into the project’s theme. An immense amount of creativity, talent, and skill is required to take ordinary materials like vinyl and concrete and turn them into the outstanding backyards that Curtis creates, but these details allow his creativity to shine in a different light. Curtis immerses himself completely in just one or two projects at a time, which allows him the opportunity to add those intricate details that take his extraordinary projects to the next level. Some of the details in the grotto area of this hybrid project include real ship portholes that open and close, as well as carvings and lanterns to add visual interest inside of the grotto. The project also includes a raised spillover spa and a sunshelf with a bubbling water feature. The sunshelf has steps leading into the main body of the pool, giving swimmers an easy entry point if they don’t feel the urge to jump off the top of the waterfall or take a ride down the hand-carved, hand-tiled slide. The shelf has just enough water to allow shallow wading or lounging, and the pebbled finish provides a perfect place to set a lounge chair without worrying about damaging the vinyl liner. With the spa nearby, this whole end of the pool is perfect for relaxing, talking, or watching the kids while they swim. This incredible hybrid swimming pool also includes a poolside pizza oven, so fresh, stone-fired pizza is never far away. The brick oven can cook a pizza in about 90 seconds, and produces authentic, outstanding pizzas. The homeowners have spent years perfecting their pizza crust and sauce recipes, as well as growing their own tomatoes and basil. The pizza oven adds another element of their own personality, and makes this project even more perfect for them. With a built-in countertop, it’s easy to get a couple of pies going at one time, or to prep ingredients for personal pizzas. The homeowners are very family-oriented and love to have friends and family over to their home. During the construction process, the Legendary Escapes crew met several friends and family members who stopped in for some quality time and to check out the progress of the pool. The finished product is a perfect place for entertaining, and it feels very comfortable and welcoming. With the sunshelf, spa, grotto, poolside seating, and the pool itself, there are plenty of different places to sit or soak and have conversations or splash around. Curtis is incredibly proud of this project, and he has high hopes for it. He was recently named a Master of Design by Pool & Spa News for a hybrid swimming pool he built in Brighton, MI. This new, nautical hybrid pool fits in beautifully with his portfolio, but also stands out as extraordinary. The team at Legendary Escapes anticipates positive feedback and recognition for this project, and looks forward to building more swimming pools that push the envelope and wow clients and fans.

This spectacular free form pool was built into the side of a sand dune in New Smyrna Beach. Our client was a retired high-end homebuilder from the Hamptons, referred by Collado Real Estate. All Aqua Pools completed all aspects of this backyard paradise. Not only the pool design and build, but also the pool deck, walls, landscape design and landscaping, irrigation, fencing, and LED lighting of the pool and landscape. The retaining wall at one end of the pool includes two staircases to provide a jumping off point as well as a four foot high location for the three 24″ sheer waterfalls. This pool also features a large sun shelf for luxuriating and a bench around the perimeter of much of the pool. The walls are made of Baystone Travertine Cladding, and the interior is lined with Wet Edge North Shore Tahoe, and of course like all of our pools it features a Paramount PCC-2000 self-cleaning floor system which circulates the water from the bottom, resulting in sparkling water with very little maintenance.

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There's no lawn to worry about here, this is the full backyard. The home's patio doors open onto a cedar deck that extends over the edge of the pool lending the feeling of a "dock," complete with round posts. The pool's dark liner gives a natural pond look, while a limestone rock feature with water flowing from several points adds the drama of a waterfall. The entry stairs are bordered by Wiarton flagstone coping and a small deck in architectural stamped concrete. Privacy fencing punctuated by pocket gardens of greenery complete this tranquil poolscape. (16 x 27, custom free form)

Stoney Brook Landscaping Location: Kittery Point, Kittery, ME, USA Chimney restoration and new chimney instillations. Pool patio, staircases, walkways and entries. This house was built in 1662 and the original fire place and chimney were restored. Photographed by: John Bedford Photography

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

Tropical islands are the focal point for the design build of the acreage behind this stunning, Mediterranean-style home. The hardscape features a three level pool, including a toddler pool and a wading pool. Starting at the reef, there are three leaf petal loungers which allow you to recline in four to six inches of water at your feet. Limestone holy boulders are placed strategically along the edge for a natural element. A beautiful blend of earthy colors within the flagstone create a natural and rustic pool deck. All of the steps and bench seating inside the pool are also made of flagstone (custom fabricated flagstone coping for this project was completed on site). The toddler pool features fiber optic lighting which was installed at the bottom of the pool in the gunnite shell to create the reflection of a starry, celestial sky (fiber optic lighting can be used to create any number of shapes or constellations). An infinity edge crashes over beautiful stone and tile work, falling into a wading pool below. Another special feature is a water feature of riverstone cobbles sitting below dancing flames. Large stepping stones alongside this feature lead you to a lounge pool deck creating the feeling of an island retreat. Limestone slabs were used for a path of steps that take you through the landscaping back to the main house. A gazebo was added to hold an outdoor kitchen, an outdoor shower and a pool house with restrooms. All of the outdoor features are automated, allowing you to operate water temperature, fire features, water features, even the music and lighting from your smartphone.

A completed luxury backyard remodel in Dana Point featuring a custom pool, outdoor hardscaping, artificial turf, and a modern outdoor living area designed for entertaining and coastal living.

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